Commemoration of the Chechen Deportation Day in Prague(Prague Watchdog) – The rally in commemoration of the Chechen deportation in 1944 and in protest against the continuing conflict in Chechnya, which was organised by Czech citizens and Chechen refugees, took place on the Wenceslas Square in the centre of Prague on February 24 and was attended by some three dozen people, including Czech Senator Zuzana Roithová and Czech journalist Jaromír Štětina.
The purpose of the rally, organised by the SOS Chechnya Committee (Výbor SOS Čečensko), was to pay tribute to the victims of the deportation and to draw attention to the fact that the situation in Chechnya is in a deadlock, which can only be solved by political talks.
Thus Prague joined the wave of rallies and demonstrations which took place (or were to take place*) all over Europe, namely in Ankara, Brussels, Copenhagen, the Hague, Helsinki, Krakow, Moscow, Nazran, Odessa, Paris, Poznan, Rome, Stockholm, Tbilisi, Vilnus , Warsaw, and other towns, not to mention Grozny, Gudermes, Argun, Shali and other Chechen towns and villages.
* Note by Prague Watchdog: We are still waiting for confirmation that each of the scheduled rallies has actually taken place. |
